Only You
by Artistry23
Summary: Kaori has left Ryo to live with her sister, Sayuri. But she has come back to him for the sake of protecting Sayuri while she herself is walking right into the trap of an impending danger which will reveal her true identity and may cost her, her life. Will Ryo be able to sense the real danger and protect Kaori or will he lose her forever? Read to know more..
1. A Trouble

**A/N:** Hello Everyone! This is my first fan fiction. So please be lenient and make sure to review it as it will really help me a lot. And Thank You all (assuming you will read it till the end :P).

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the City Hunter and its characters except for the ones which I have invented.

 **1\. A Trouble**

It has been eight months since Kaori was living away from Ryo, with her sister Sayuri, in Adachi district of Tokyo (not too far from Shinjuku). His Sugar Boy was now a gym instructor and helping hand at a day care. While Kaori was striving her hard to live away from Ryo and trying to move on with her life, Ryo was more like a living corpse. His reason of living was snatched away from him, though he was majorly responsible for it. Once again that feeling of loosing her to death, had kept him from giving voice to his true feelings. While his mind was at solace for her Sugar Boy was now living a life away from any danger but his heart was always crying out to reach her. Every day he was pretending that nothing in his life has changed except for the fact that there were no hammers (which was supposedly a good thing) and every night he would go on drinking till the pain of this separation would fade away. Nothing much was left in his life except for the cases which Saeko would occasionally give him and those three letters "XYZ" which were quite frequent. Surely the crime rate in Tokyo was increasing and was keeping the lone City Hunter busy.

One such fine morning (noon to be more precise), Ryo was on his way to the station to do his everyday work like checking the requests from customers and doing skirt chasing. But something felt wrong from this morning as if a warning of an impending danger. Our sweeper surely trusted his senses more than his eyes and ears. It was clearly this ability that has made him the best sweeper of Japan. And then suddenly the face of his angel crossed his mind. He felt a sudden chill down his spine. Dark thoughts started flowing through his mind. He forcefully stopped it and made sure to ask Miki about Kaori that evening. He reached the station board and there it was those letters "XYZ". But what shocked him more was the handwriting that seemed awfully familiar. The meeting place was Cat's Eye the next day and the two flowers – one red and the other white, were the way to identify the customer. There was a flicker of fearful and concerned expression on his face. But this was very soon replaced with a drooling face of our sweeper followed by a screaming of a woman. Sure our sweeper knew how to keep himself busy…

At Cat's Eye..

Since Kaori was a very good friend of Miki, she would occasionally come and meet her. She would also give Miki a splendid performance of how happy was she with her new life, for her eyes were now a bottomless pit of pain and sorrow. All her friends knew that the reason was separation from Ryo and only their reconciliation could bring happiness in both Kaori's and Ryo's life. And hence all were waiting for the right opportunity to bring them back together. Though both were acting like nothing has happened, all of them were painfully aware of their feelings. And when one such opportunity presented before Miki, she just could not let it go. It was a few days back when Kaori was having a lunch with Miki and telling her the problem of Sayuri.

*Flashback….

 _\- So Kaori, how is your work as gym instructor going on? And any further development with Mr. Ichinose?_

 _\- (Blushing) It's as tiring as ever and I already told you that I have no interest in Mr. Ichinose!_

 _\- But you are blushing Kaori!_

 _\- I am not! And he is nice to me because he is a gentleman unlike someone I know..._

 _\- And what about you? Do you also feel nothing about him… He is a handsome and gentleman too… There is no harm in giving it a try… And wasn't he the one who asked you out for a dinner…_

 _\- That was just on a whim…_

 _\- It's hard to believe, after all you are his personal instructor! (Then continued her teasing) And I am sure you two must had a few close moments too..._

 _\- Give your imagination a rest dear... He is a business tycoon of Japan... Why will he have any interest in a common girl like me...(The atmosphere suddenly became heavy) And I want to live my life without any further complications..._

 _-(Sensing the atmosphere, she changed the topic) So… How's your your part time job at day care is going on?_

 _Kaori's face glowed up immediately._

 _\- I just love that job Miki! It's simply so refreshing.. Whenever I am down, those innocent smiles of children sure fill me with immense joy and energy.._

 _\- And how is Sayuri?_

 _Suddenly expression on Kaori's face changed. She seemed visibly upset and worried but remained silent about it._

 _-If there is something that is bothering you Kaori, you know you can always tell me._

 _Kaori knew escaping Miki was next to impossible so chose her words carefully. It was important to exclude herself from the problem while narrating it to Miki. Already Sayuri was in such a position because of her, and she does not want anyone else to fall into it._

 _-You see Miki… Lately, Sayuri is receiving some threat letters. You know that she is the editor of the newspaper and such things are more or less common for her, but…._

 _-But what Kaori?_

 _Miki was visibly worried and Kaori does not want to worry her more. But knows that hiding even the basic information from her was futile as she needed her help and so went ahead._

 _-Well… Three times in the last week alone our house was attacked and every time there was note left which said "Obey our Words". They are sure trying to intimidate us!_

 _Then there was a long pause… She cannot carelessly tell anyone that she was the main target._

 _-None of us were ever injured but surely this is more like a mental attack… God only knows what will happen now..._

 _-This is not at all good Kaori! Why not ask for help from police?_

 _\- (Kaori shrugged) I also asked the same thing from Sayuri but she declined saying that it is a part of her work and doing so might grab the attention of media and this will be bad for her untainted reputation in the industry..._

 _Both of them were silent for a moment and then Kaori resumed speaking._

 _\- So I was thinking of asking help from Falcon or Mick…_

 _Though Miki was worried for Sayuri, she didn't forget that Kaori's rightful place was beside Ryo and thought this was a good chance to bring them back together. It might be tough for them in the beginning but she knew that their love will win, however hard be the challenge._

 _\- Kaori I don't think Falcon and Mick will be able to help you… Falcon already has another bodyguard job which will keep him busy for the next two weeks and for Mick…_

 _(hesitantly) Well… he always seems with Kazue and I don't think you would like to interfere in their newly built love nest..But there is someone else who can help you.._

 _\- Should I ask Saeko then?_

" _Ahhhhh… Seriously how can Kaori be so dense... Only one person is left and all she can think of is Saeko... I guess she is turning oblivious to Ryo… Poor him... Well in one way he deserves this... But if things go on like this, then we may never see them together again... Well I will have to do something..."- Thought Miki furiosly._

 _\- Kaori... Why don't you ask Ryo? He will definitely help you..._

 _\- (Though she perfectly knew where Miki was heading, still those words were like a bomb dropped on her. Not a night spent by when she doesn't think of him… Every part of her body and heart craved for a single glance of him… And only she knew how much she has controlled herself… And she perfectly knew that one look from him and all that she had built up till that time will collapse in a second… That was exactly how much she loved Ryo and instead of fading away it was increasing more and more with each passing day… And she doesn't want to face him again as she won't be able to bear another separation... But for the sake of Sayuri she has to do it... Somewhere in the corner of her her mind she knew it very well that it was only Ryo who would and who could help her...) I don't think he will accept my request... Don't you remember what he said when Silver Fox threatened to kill me._

 _\- Oh Kaori! did you forget those numerous times when you were kidnapped and Ryo saved you. And besides it's about your sister this time and I am sure he will accept your request. You just prepare yourself for the meeting... If possible have it in Cat's Eye only, so that if he rejects we might help you..._

 _\- Fine Miki.. I will contact him but through the "XYZ" (does not want to face him so suddenly)._

 _\- Don't worry Kaori.. Just have faith in Ryo like you always used to do._

 _\- Thanks Miki.. You are always such a help._

 _With this their meeting ended and Kaori went back to her new home._

Flashback Ends*

"It is approximately the time for Kaori's meeting with Ryo. She will be here any moment" as soon as Miki thought this Kaori was there at the door looking as pretty as ever. She gave her greetings to Miki and placed two flowers one red and the other white on the table, as mentioned in her message.

Soon Ryo reached the Cat's Eye and promptly jumped on Miki, but instead met with a frying pan launched on his face by Falcon. Cursing the big head Ryo scanned all the tables for the two flowers. "There they are" thought Ryo. A brunette was sitting there and with her head down. As soon as she lifted her head and met his eyes, Ryo felt short of his breath. His heart skipped many of the beats. She was there, with her sweet eyes overflowing with love for him (though he could sense the pain in them too). All he wanted at that time was to take his Sugar Boy in his arms and hug her, but with inhumane strength refrained himself. But then his mind started racing, thinking why her Sugar Boy needed his help? What could have happened to her? Who in the mortal world could have dared to threatened her? At all these thoughts, Ryo's blood turned cold and the sweeper within him sworn to show the living hell, to the person who dared to hurt her.

In the meanwhile, when Kaori saw him, her mind went blank. All she need need was that man in front of her. Those Black eyes which she had not seen for months, now called her to him. How badly she wanted to feel the warmth of his hands and body. She doesn't knew why or from when she loved him. But there was no doubt in her mind, that in her life it was either Ryo or no one. And in months she spoke that name for the first time.

"Ryo", softly mouthed Kaori.

Continued...


	2. Back To Home

**A/N:** So, here's the second chapter of my story. Hope you will like this one too. And thanks a lot to everyone who read and reviewed my first chapter. It really encouraged me a lot. Make sure to review and like it too! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the City Hunter and its characters.

 **2\. Back To Home**

"Ryo," softly mouthed Kaori.

And then all the memories of the day when she had told Ryo of her decision to leave him, came rushing back to her.

 _*Flashback…_

 _Two days before that fateful evening, Sayuri had come to meet Kaori. Seeing that no visible change has taken place during her absence, she decided to take Kaori with her. Not to The States, but to another part of Tokyo itself. Yes, she was transferred to Tokyo for about next two years and seeing the present status of their relationship, she decided to break free Kaori, from that unnamed relation. And when she told Kaori about her, being her blood related sister, she was surprise to find that Kaori already knew about it right from the time when had she first met her. And then she asked Kaori..._

 _\- Kaori I will get straight to the point… Come with me Kaori! Now that we know about everything, why should not we live together?_

 _\- Sayuri… This is too sudden…_

 _\- I know Kaori, but you need to move your on in your life and leave this dangerous way behind..._

 _\- I love this way of life Sayuri, where I can help someone. My brother even sacrificed his life to help the needy people and I will not hesitate to do so too… And besides, I just cannot leave everyone and everything so suddenly…_

 _\- Kaori, you are my lovely younger sister with whom I have longed to live… After the death of our parents you are my only family! Please come with me… I am not telling you leave your current life forever. Just live with me until I am here in Tokyo… After that you can decide where you want to go… I won't force you..._

 _Sayuri sobbed softly. Kaori was weak against tears, especially the tears of her loved ones. But even the thought about living away from Ryo was enough to shake her soul. She has lived with him for eight years and has grown to love her with each passing day. How could she suddenly behave as if those eight years of love meant nothing in her life. Especially when she perfectly knew that Ryo was the only reason of her survival after the death of Hideyuki. It was because of him that she was able bear the pain of his death. If not for him, she would have long ago followed her brother in hell or heaven. He was the man who has saved her from those endless waves of pain and she wanted to become the woman who will save him from the sufferings of his life. But the proposal of Sayuri has thrown her in a whole lot of dilemma. She wanted to live with Sayuri as much as she wanted to live with Ryo. She also wanted to feel the warmth of a family and to do the things that all normal families do. And not things like babysitting a pervert! The thought of Ryo doing such nasty things angered our sweet Kaori and without a slightest defiance said…_

 _\- Okay Sayuri, I am coming with you… But you need a keep this a secret from Ryo, that we will be living together only for two years or so… I want to check something too…_

 _Getting the exact idea of what Kaori wanted to do, Sayuri readily agreed to it._

 _\- Look Kaori… I do not want to separate you from Ryo… But I think your temporary separation may open his eyes for better._

 _Finishing this line with a slight grin, she hugged Kaori tenderly. Finally her much awaited dream of living together with her sister was coming true._

 _The next day Kaori informed Ryo about the arrival of Sayuri, her proposal and the decision they made. There was no visible sign of sadness on his face. But a flicker of emotion in his black eyes was enough for Kaori to know what was going inside his mind. By now she perfectly knew what Ryo thought about their relation and what were the reasons of his denial. But thought that what they needed was not advice but a little more space and this was the perfect opportunity for things take turn, in a favorable way._

 _\- Ryo… I have decided to live with Sayuri from now onwards…_

 _\- Will you be living in New York?_

 _\- No not now… Sayuri has some work in Tokyo which might take a year or two. So I will be living here, in Adachi district, with her for a while and will occasionally come to meet all of you at Cat's Eye._

 _\- Make sure to inform us in advance._

 _She perfectly understood what he meant (that he will make sure to not go to Cat's Eye during that time). She sighed and continued but with an emphasizing voice..._

 _\- Yes I will do it and you make sure to not bring any shame on the name of City Hunter by your perverted activities. Or else I will pray with all my might to the God to curse your mokkori forever…_

 _\- Have I ever done anything indecent Kaori? How could you even question my purity…_

 _\- We will see for how much time your purity will remain intact! Believe me Ryo, if I ever hear anything about your lewd behavior, I will hunt you down and will punish with my own hands._

 _After finishing her last line with quite a resolute, Kaori turned to go back to her room to spend her last night in her home. As she took her first step, she was stopped by Ryo who was holding her wrist in his hands. Kaori slightly blushed and Ryo with a sombre expression Ryo continued…_

 _\- Live a happy life ahead Sugar Boy and don't forget that you have a home here too!_

 _\- I will remember that Ryo..._

 _And the next day, Kaori left her house. There was, no fight and no hurtful words said, just a feeling of sadness that was lingering in the hearts of both of our protagonists._

 _Flashback Ends*_

Coming back to the present, Kaori timidly said in a small voice, "Hi Ryo."

She was blushing like a teenager in a front of his new love.

\- "Hi Kaori," said Ryo nonchalantly and began his infamous acting of searching for someone. He was searching everywhere in the restaurant like beneath the table, behind the door and counter, and even under the tableware!

\- "Um Ryo… What are you searching?"

\- "Oh Kaori you are still here… I thought you left… And I am searching for my client… Should be here in the restaurant-"

\- "I am sure your client is not sitting under that spoon and knife," said Kaori folding her arms across her chest in annoyance. The remark - "I thought you left," didn't escape her. It felt more like, Ryo was accusing her of leaving him, and that pinched her heart. Her thoughts were interrupted by Ryo's voice.

\- "By the way what are you doing here Kaori? Don't tell me you were waiting here for someone?" mocked Ryo. And then continued with fake concerned expression, "I am happy for you Kaori! You have finally found a man for yourself, though I doubt his sanity…"

Now, Kaori's was losing her temper and was visibly exasperated.

\- "Kaori, now answer these questions seriously… Is that man blind? Is he a transvestite like yourself? Is he a masochist? Or," asked Ryo continued with a horrified expression, "Did you exploit any of the weaknesses of him? Did you threaten him to date you or else you will beat him with your hammers? Or is it that he is not a human altogether and just wanted any handsome male to take with him to another planet? Poor him or Mr. Alien… They don't know what creature they dealing with! I think we should all have a moment of silence for them and pray-"

Ryo was cut off from his speech by a 1000t hammer from Kaori which landed perfectly right in the face of our sweeper, instantly breaking some of his teeth and his treasured face.

\- "You foul mouthed person deserved this," said Kaori now looking considerably refreshed after venting out her anger on him.

\- Quickly recovering from that fatal hammer, Ryo shouted, "How dare you try that hammer on me… You transvestite will never understand the responsibility of having such a great body. I still have to make love to all the women on this earth. I have to preserve this body, the great me who is called the Stallion of Shinjuku," completed Ryo puffing his chest up.

\- "Then perhaps I should let this stallion have some rest…"

As soon as she said this a 5000t hammer miraculously appeared in her hand. Ryo still wondered how can her Sugar boy handle such a deadly weight. And the reason why he was still sprouting that nonsense because that hammers were a proof that Kaori was still intimidated by him and his words. Her hammers showed how much she loved him. Sure this way of showing love was lethal but how can he reject anything that her Sugar Boy has to offer to him. And love was not a different matter too. Yes he has finally accepted that Kaori was the only woman he wanted in his life. He wanted to treasure her and love her as he believes that "Women are the creatures born to be protected and loved". Life has shown him both hell and heaven on this earth. And he wanted to spend rest of his life in the earthly heaven with Kaori as she was the one who changed a demon like him, into a human. If she was not yet with anyone, then he would not waste anymore the time and would confess to her. She will be the one to decide his fate, whether Ryo will live in hell or heaven. Kaori's voice brought him back to the place and he immediately went down on his knees and started to beg for forgiveness from her.

\- "Please forgive me her majesty, the divine mother of justice! I was impudent to say this. But please spare me from this divine hammer. I beg your forgiveness…"

Kaori shrugged and the hammer disappeared instantaneously. Then her expression changed and became more serious.

\- "Fine Ryo… Now, were not searching for your client?"

\- "Yes I was… She sure is late…"

\- "How did you that she is a female?" asked Kaori astonishingly.

\- "I am not called Stallion of Shinjuku for nothing… I can tell whether the client is a male or a female just from their handwriting," said Ryo haughtily.

\- "And what was the mentioned identification mark?"

\- "Two flowers – one red and the other white… But why are you asking this?" asked Ryo feigning ignorance to the fact which he obviously knew from the moment he had seen the message on the board.

\- "And what can you see in my hand?" asked Kaori irritably. 'Why is Ryo going in circles… Surely he must have noticed my handwriting and the flowers by now, after all he is the great City Hunter… He sure loves to tease me… Or is having me as a customer, so much of an annoyance to him,' thought Kaori.

\- "Are you my client?" asked Ryo with a dejected face.

\- "What an early realization Ryo… Congratulations! Looks like your skills have rusted a bit but no so much. You were right on target! Your client sure is a woman."

\- "Oh this is surely my mistake… You see, it must because of the glare due to sunlight that I got confused. There's no doubt that my client is a man… So as per the rules I have to reject this offer… Sorry man, you can look for someone else.

Miki and Falcon who were looking all this drama from the sidelines now came to help Kaori, who looked at Miki with an expression of - "I already told you he will say this!". She took the situation in her hand and shouted at Ryo to at least listen to her problem.

\- "Now Kaori it's your turn to narrate your issues..." said Miki.

Kaori then began telling Ryo about her problem, or rather Sayuri's issue, choosing the same words as she had done while telling Miki. With each moment passing by, everyone could sense the seriousness of her problem and the fear with which both the sisters' were living everyday. Ryo caught hold of each and every word attentively, without missing any detail. After she has finished telling her part, Ryo began asking questions…

\- "Tell me Kaori, is there anything missing from your house?"

\- "No… Not in my or Sayuri's knowledge at least."

\- "Is Sayuri working on a big scoop?"

\- "I guess there is something in her hands but I do not know what."

\- "Then maybe they are threatening her to withdraw from that work… Is there anyone you or Sayuri suspect?"

\- "No one at this point."

\- "The last one… What exactly was written on that threat note? Do you have that note with you now?"

\- "Here, this is one of them."

Ryo examined the note. It was written, "Comply to my request or else more innocent souls of your loved ones will be hurt" and below the note it was written, "you know who I am." The note was vaguely written in such a fashion that only the targeted person can understand it's true message. But something was amiss in the story. Also while listening to her, he noticed that Kaori was nowhere in the picture which seemed odd. So he tried to decipher Kaori's expressions, to see if she was hiding anything, but was shocked to see that her eyes showed no emotion at all. Her mind was shut from the whole world and he couldn't find any gap to enter it. Also while she was telling him her problem, he sensed no presence of her at all. Although she was sitting right in front of him, her presence was nowhere to be found. She was giving the vibe of a perfect detective or rather a person from his own dark world. Only when she was finished telling her part, he felt the situation turned to normal. But Ryo's mind was focused on one thing – how could she conceal her mind and presence so easily? Who could have taught her angel such a thing was the major question. He immediately got the seriousness of the situation and agreed to help her.

\- "I am only doing this because my real client is Sayuri who is an exceptionally beautiful woman unlike someone I know."

\- "Don't get ahead of yourself, you airhead!"

\- "Whatever," said Ryo waving his hand in a dismissal manner and then continued, "And yes, you know what needs to be done?"

\- What?

\- "Obviously… Sayuri needs to live in the house of City Hunter until the case is solved. Tell her to pack her bags… I will come to pick her up this evening… I don't want her to suffer the misery of these night all by herself… I will protect her from this cruel world right here in my arms, all day and night!" completed Ryo with a drooling face.

\- "Shut up you idiot! There's no way I will let Sayuri live alone with a wolf like you! I will also accompany her, after all she needs protection from certain someone, who is standing right in front my eyes with a disgusting drooling face."

\- "Do whatever you want! But be ready in the evening…" saying this, Ryo went outside the restaurant.

There was a hint of smile on everyone's face present in the Cat's Eye. Kaori was happy since Ryo indirectly offered her to come stay with him by saying some serious crap things. And outside Ryo was happy because her Angel was coming to live with him once again. He mentally made a promise that he would not let her go this time from his life. But suddenly he made a worried expression and thought, "From when did Kaori began concealing her presence and that too a little too perfectly! Even I was not able to pick up her presence. Something big is going on and I am unable to put my finger on it. This is seriously getting on my nerves!" He made a mental note to clear this thing up too and then went back to make some preparations for the arrival of Kaori in his home. Mentally correctly himself, "Not my but ours home."

The same evening, Ryo went to pick Kaori and Sayuri from the station. Arriving at the door, Kaori felt a weird sensation in her stomach. It was the feeling of immense joy and happiness on returning back to her home though she didn't knew for how many days it will last. On entering the house she was surprised to find that the it was shining like a new one. Everything was placed at their right place, there was not even a single dust particle and a nice smell was coming from the kitchen. Ryo had himself cooked the dinner for them. Kaori didn't even knew that Ryo was so good at cooking. He could have helped her during those past years when they used to live together. Kaori made a sullen expression on this thought. Both Sayuri and Ryo saw this and smiled inwardly.

When they all started going upstairs for their respective rooms to retire for the night, Ryo spoke in a voice, low enough only for Kaori to hear, "Welcome back to your home Sugar Boy!" Saying this left a red faced Kaori in the corridor and went into his room.

Continued...


	3. The Real Target

**A/N:** Here's the next update of my fanfic. And thanks to everyone who took their time to read my earlier chapters and reviewed it. Hope you will like this one. And don't forget to review, follow and fav it. :)

 **3\. The Real Target**

Morning came in the blink of an eye in the house of our sweeper. Ryo slept peacefully for the first in eight months, for her Kaori was there in the house. And Kaori too, fell in the arms of Morpheus that night. The mere presence of Ryo was enough to give her a sense of security and completion. Kaori was the first one to wake up (as usual), and went to the kitchen to prepare for the breakfast. Doing so, made her feel like she was back to her previous life of being a City Hunter and this eased her tension a bit. But the problem, which Sayuri was facing, was still lingering in her mind. She soon finished preparing the breakfast and went to wake up Sayuri and Ryo. Since Sayuri was already in the bathroom, she went towards Ryo's room. She was still surprised that Ryo made none of his infamous night visit to Sayuri. Maybe he was serious this time, about Sayuri's mess and maybe her.

Ryo was lying awakened in his bed, right from the moment Kaori has set her foot out of her room in the morning. He was enjoying the familiarity in his house and was hoping that Kaori would come to wake him up, like before. His wish was granted almost immediately when Kaori opened the door. He immediately started pretending to sleep and snoring, like anything. Kaori leaned over him and shook his shoulder gently.

"Wake up Ryo! You have to go with Sayuri today..."

He showed no sign waking up, instead started mumbling something in his mouth. Kaori went down a little close to his mouth, to hear what he was saying. Ryo inhaled the scent of Kaori. He felt like taking her in his arms, she was smelling like lavender, which was like cherry on top and was enough to wake his mokkori. He turned on the other side and pulled up his covers. Kaori once again shook him and said…

"Ryo wake up! It's already 8 o'clock. You will be late for your work..."

"I missed you so much… Come here by my side now..." mumbled Ryo in his sleep.

Listening this at first, Kaori's face turned red and started blushing. But almost instantly, the thought of Ryo dreaming of the bar girls of Kabukicho district, crossed her mind. And this was enough to anger our former partner of City Hunter.

"Ryooo… Who are you dreaming about..." muttered Kaori with her clenched teeth and was about to throw down Ryo from his bed when suddenly Ryo grabbed her hand, pulled her down on the bed, inside the covers. He was now top of her, shirtless (as he always slept) with only his boxers on, breathing right on the face of Kaori. His cologne smell was torturing her mind, his handsome face was right above hers and his eyes full of passion was boring deep into hers. She felt a tingling sensation in her stomach and was blushing hardly under the tender gaze of his lover. Ryo bent down near her ear and whispered in a husky voice…

"I was dreaming about you Kaori… Today, yesterday and every day, since you entered my life… It was always you and no one else… You were, and will always be mine...And this time I am not letting you go Kaori… Never again!"

Saying this, Ryo once again faced Kaori, whose face was getting a darker shade of red with each passing moment. He waited for her to regain her composure, got down from his bed and started walking away when he suddenly halted and looked at her once again and said with a force, "Never again Kaori!" and turned back to go the bathroom. Kaori was left flushed in his bed and was unable to process what Ryo had said to her. He has just told her something which sounded like a confession. "Ryo confessed to me?" thought Kaori. To make sure it was not a dream, she pinched herself really hard. It hurt her a lot which means it was not a dream. She felt like she was on cloud nine! She immediately got up from the bed and went outside, towards the living room. At the door of his bedroom she stopped and looked at the bed on which Ryo has confessed to her. Once again she felt her temperature rising up but shook her head, slapped herself twice and went ahead.

In the living room, after sometime, all three of them were having breakfast quietly. None of them said any word. Both Ryo and Kaori were eating with such concentration like they had the best thing in the world in front of them. Sayuri sensed this awkwardness and deduced that something must have happened between those two. She worried for a second but seeing the faint blush, on the face of Kaori, thought that it must have been something good, so chose to remain silent in order to let the things develop at their own speed. Any further rush could worsen the situation.

"So Ryo… Will you be accompanying me for the whole day today?" asked Sayuri.

"Of course… It is necessary in order to find the real culprit… But don't worry, I have no intention of pouncing on you… You see, I am a really committed man, loyal to my beloved one..."

Kaori who was drinking her juice, choked badly on hearing this. Ryo immediately got up from his seat and went towards Kaori to help her. He gently patted her back and helped her to drink up another glass of water. Seeing this gentle side of Ryo completely shocked Kaori and got a nod of approval from Sayuri.

"I got your point Ryo," winked Sayuri at Kaori, "and I will be leaving my security in your expert hands… And fear not Kaori, I will make sure that he doesn't glance or do his perverted activities anymore… And besides I have your mini hammers with me, just in case I need it, though I doubt it now..." finished chuckling.

After both Sayuri and Ryo left for their work, Kaori started cleaning the house. Three hours later, she thought of going out for shopping. As soon as she was ready to go out, her phone started ringing. She went to pick it up and said…

"Hello!"

"Save your greetings for later dear.. I am quite disappointed in you… Three days, and not even a single call… I was so lonely without you… And you even left your job as gym instructor… Were you trying run away from me? Don't even think about it Kaori... I think you have forgotten what has happened to your previous house…"

"Why you..." stammered Kaori.

"Oh don't worry dear, I am still waiting for you… Just say yes to my proposal and I will make sure that you get everything you want in your life… You see, there is nothing in this world, that I cannot give you…"

"If you want something to give me, then just leave me and my sister alone!"

"I am afraid that this is the only thing out of my reach. And yes, the most important thing... There is a shooter targeting your sister in the market right now… If you want to save her life then agree to my proposal and become my bride… If you say yes now I will ask that shooter to spare your sister..."

"Neither I am not going to accept your proposal nor am letting anything bad happen to her. I will protect her by any means, from you," cut off Kaori.

"You think I don't know that you have hired City Hunter to protect your sister and yourself… But even he won't be able to save her… I will use any means to bring you to my side Kaori… Even if it means hurting you, your sister or that man named City Hunter, physically or mentally..."

Kaori was afraid that he might have discovered about her relationship with Ryo. Especially after Ryo has finally started moving towards her, she cannot let him hurt Ryo or Sayuri in any way. This eccentric man was capable of doing anything of which she was sure. She has to take things in her hands even if it meant revealing her past. Her past, which she has carefully hidden in the depths of her mind and heart. Her past abilities, which she had promised, to Hideyuki, to never use again. With utter resolve in her voice she said…

"No Mr. Ichinose! I will never let you hurt my loved ones… Try and see if you can," said Kaori in a threatening voice.

"First let me see if you can save your sister… Your resistance is making this chase more and more interesting," chuckled Kazuya Ichinose.

"You dare..." her words were met with a long silence for her phone was disconnected.

Coming back to the current situation she quickly disguise herself and called Sayuri to know her exact position without raising her suspicions. Then with great speed ran off to the area where she was present. Only when she saw Sayuri well and safe, took a breath of temporary relief. Knowing and seeing that Ryo was with her, eased her more and she felt that the situation was under control for now.

Meanwhile, Ryo ans Sayuri were taking a little walk in the hustle bustle of the city. Sayuri was on her break and took that opportunity to clear some things with him. She then started her conversation…

"Ryo what was going on between you and Kaori," asked Sayuri while drinking water.

"Nothing much… I just kind of confessed to her," said Ryo pretending to be nonchalant.

Sayuri who was drinking water choked suddenly on hearing on his words, and said…

"Are you serious Ryo?"

"Of course I am… Those eight months of separation were enough to teach me a lesson and her importance in my life… Leaving that, care to tell me what's all about these threat letters?"

"Frankly speaking, even I don't know who can all behind this… It is true that I have got some big scoops here but none of them are so grave, in my opinion at least, that those people would try to harm me… The whole thing seems out of place…"

"You mean to say that you are unaware of their motive..."

"Yes, that's exactly what I am saying… Especially the manner in which the threat letter was written… I just couldn't understand any of it..."

"I have asked my informants to gather more information on this… I guess they should acquire it by the end of the day… Let's wait until then..."

"Of course… And now you help me carry these shopping bags… Kaori will be really happy on seeing the dresses I have brought for her."

"As you say your highness," said Ryo bowing to her.

Sayuri graciously accepted his help and continued her shopping. They just out got from another shop when Ryo felt a murderous aura coming from someone. He immediately alerted, but sensed that it was not directed at him or Sayuri, rather it was directed at someone who was walking behind him. He turned to see the victim and found a woman who looked like a delinquent and was smoking. He returned to Sayuri's side and asked her quickly finish her shopping and go back to her office as he didn't want her to get involved in any of the other people's mess. He looked back at that woman who in turn looked at him. Their eyes met and Ryo felt a strange sense of familiarity. He tried to sense her presence but was met with a barrier and thus couldn't recognize her. He thought that it must be due to the threat that she was facing and thought of helping her. But changed his mind as the life of Sayuri was much more important than her, though he felt bad about it. Then resolved to help her in danger, if he was around there, at that time. Sure our sweeper cannot let any woman face danger in his presence. Then moved forward on his way.

The woman in question is none other than Kaori who was stalking her sister and Ryo and ready to jump in if they needed any help. She was disguised as a delinquent and by concealing her presence, was following both of them. She scanned her surroundings and was shocked to find that the gun was pointed at her. But as soon as she saw the shooter he shifted his aim towards Sayuri. But again she felt no danger towards her sister. "Maybe that Ichinose is using Sayuri, only as a bait, to draw me into a corner," thought Kaori. But the aura of that gunman seemed too real for only a hollow threat. And his murderous intent that was directed not at her sister but at her made her suspicions more stronger. Using her forbidden abilities, Kaori was easily able to guess who was the real target. "It is me," thought Kaori. And suddenly a part of conversation with Ichinose from that morning flashed through her mind. "I will use any means to bring to my side Kaori… Even if it means hurting you, your sister or that man named City Hunter, physically or mentally." This proved that he was aiming to hurt Kaori in order to make her surrender to him. "My resolve is not that weak," smirked Kaori. And despite being at gunpoint she felt strangely calm and for her sister and lover were out of danger.

She continued following both of them with all her senses awakened. She was finding it a bit difficult to conceal her presence from Ryo, because concealing one's presence required the mind of that person to be completely void of earthly thoughts, and well… the images Ryo over Kaori in the sweeper's bed and his husky voice in her ear were continuously flashing through her mind. Even the thought of it were enough to flush Kaori. She was somehow managing her inner balance when Ryo turned to look at her. Their eyes met and Kaori panicked thinking that Ryo will recognize her. Though her disguise was perfect and she was doing a fair job of concealing her presence, there was always a chance of Ryo recognizing her. Kaori fervently wished for the moment to pass away quickly. She noticed that Ryo felt something strange about the delinquent in front of him and that was reflected in his eyes. She felt more and more nervous and started looking in the opposite direction. Only when Ryo turned away to continue on his way with Sayuri that she felt relieved. And when Ryo was just about to turn around the corner, she heard the sound of bullet leaving the muzzle.

Lots of people were present on the sidewalk, where Kaori was standing. As soon as she heard the sound, she was about to move but thought otherwise. There were people standing behind her and by moving from there she doesn't want to hurt the innocent souls. It would have created a panic among the crowd and the result could have been disastrous. So she remained at her place and shifted a bit so that the bullet would not hurt her vital parts. Soon the bullet deeply grazed her upper arm causing her immense pain. A large patch of red stain was formed on her jacket. She withered in pain and only one word escaped from her mouth.

"Ryo..." whispered Kaori before closing her eyes.

Continued...


	4. You Are Not Alone

**A/N** : Hello everyone and sorry for the late update. So here's the fourth chapter. It is bit lengthy but please bear with it. And thanks a lot to everyone who took their time review it. It really helped and motivated me a lot. Please make sure to review this one too. Enjoy reading! :)

 **4\. You Are Not Alone**

"Ryo" whispered Kaori before closing her eyes.

Soon a whole bunch of crowd was surrounding her. Everyone was whispering about the incident and some began asking to call the ambulance. The pain in Kaori's arm was bad but not worse. Years of her kidnapping and her training with Ryo has made her tolerable to that much pain in the least. She was breathing with her eyes closed in order to regain her consciousness. Her master had taught her, a long time ago, when she was only 16 years old, that one can strengthen his life force by ignoring the pain and concentrating on the right points of the body. Right now what Kaori was doing, was a quick of session of concentration in order to regain her life force and to get back on her own legs. She already was not able to hide her presence anymore and thus was doing everything she had in her hands to get away from the situation. She saw Ryo coming towards the scene and hence wanted to get away from there, before he could see through her disguise.

As soon as Ryo heard the sound of bullet leaving the gun, he turned to look at the target of the bullet. Seeing that "Miss Delinquent" was still standing there with a calm expression on her face, infuriated him. One thing that Ryo learned through his experiences was that the life of each and every person was important. One should not throw it away like that. The death of his best friend, Maki, was enough to teach him the lesson that death brings only sorrow and pain to the ones left behind. They are the ones who suffer the most and for the sake of their loved ones, one should treasure his life very well. On seeing the girl standing there, with a slight shift in her position, in the midst of crowd, a sudden realization hit him that she wasn't preparing herself to die instead was protecting the innocent people standing behind her. "So like Sugar Boy," thought Ryo. But this did not prevent him from going further ahead to protect her. But on the way he faced more and more resistance from the crowd and that's when the bullet hit her. Though it only grazed her, but he knew perfectly how much it would hurt. Suddenly he felt a tight knot in his stomach. He saw the girl closing her eyes from afar and read her lips. He stopped dead in his path as he perfectly understood that word. "Kaori..." escaped from the mouth of Ryo.

Kaori saw the shocked and horrified expression on Ryo's face and immediately came to the conclusion that her identity was revealed. She quickly got up from her place and mixed into the crowd. Her arm was severely paining and hence she decided to go to the Doc. She knew she could trust that perverted doctor with her life as well as her other secrets. She increased her pace in order to prevent herself from getting caught by Ryo. And when she saw that no one following her, she took the taxi and went to the Doc's home.

At Doc's house…

"Hey Doc… are you there?" asked Kaori. A long silence was followed until she felt a man's hand on her butt.

"Where do you think you are touching old man..." said Kaori angrily and was ready to throw him away when suddenly the man said in a serious tone,

"What happened to your arm Kaori?"

"Nothing much… A bullet grazed my arm..." finished Kaori in a small voice.

"Does Ryo know about this?"

"No… And you will not tell him anything… Promise me Doc that you will just not tell him anything… I want to resolve this matter on my own…"

"But Kaori..."

"Please Doc don't ask me any questions… Just ignore this for one last time…"

"We will talk about that later. First let me just treat your wound… It has already bled so much!" said Doc taking Kaori by her hand. But Kaori broke free from his grasp and said,

"No Doc, I will not move an inch from here until you agree to what have asked…" said Kaori firmly.

Resigning to that hot headed and stubborn girl Doc said, "Fine Kaori, I will not say anything to Ryo. Now can we go inside to treat your wound?"

"Of course that's exactly what I am here for!" said Kaori grinning like a child.

Doc soon treated her arm successfully and gave her some medicines. He was surprised to see the depth of her wound and thought that how could their fragile Kaori tolerate such a pain. Her injury was no joke. A lot of blood was lost which could have damage her arm permanently, but thankfully she was safe. He has given her strict instructions to not put any kind of strain on her arm for at least a week. After she was gone, all he could think of, was how Ryo would torture the person who dared to hurt Kaori. "But something good might come out of this," thought Doc.

Kaori then went to do some grocery shopping and purchased some normal clothes and a jacket which would completely hide her injury. Then headed towards Cat's Eye to meet Miki. She was doing all this to prepare her day's schedule for when she will head home, she was sure that a bunch of questions will be waiting for her. She didn't want to lie to Ryo, but telling the truth was completely out of option. Around six in the evening she went to her home and found that it was empty. Ryo and Sayuri were still out, so she went ahead to prepare dinner for them. She was careful for the whole day to act normally and her flawless acting even deceived the careful eyes of Miki. And now she was sure that she could easily deceive Ryo too.

When she was finished preparing the dinner, and was finally relaxing herself on the couch, the door bell rang. As soon as they both entered, Sayuri quickly hugged her sister and whispered in her ear, "He was a gentleman for the whole day… You picked up the right one!" Kaori felt a little in pain but controlled her expressions and then became flushed on hearing the last sentence. Her pain and blush did not escaped the eyes of our sweeper who felt the feeling of both happiness and sadness. Sure Kaori was the only one who could make his head spin with only her expressions. She was his strength as well as his weakness. His thoughts were interrupted by Sayuri's voice.

"So guys… I am going upstairs in my room... I will take a quick bath and then we all can have our dinner together. Fine with you two?" asked Sayuri, who got a nod from both of them as their approval. She turned her back to Kaori, and facing Ryo mouthed, "I will take a long time upstairs" and winked at Ryo. He only smiled in return and Sayuri thought that his genuine smile was enough to kill a mob of girls. Smiling to herself she left the two of them to have their time.

"Kaori…" said Ryo, moving closer towards her.

"Ryo..." said Kaori, while backing away from him.

"What were you doing today?" asked Ryo seriously.

"Nothing much… some shopping, coffee with Miki, cleaning our house… that's all" said Kaori, who was having great trouble keeping her calm while Ryo was moving so close to her.

"Are you sure?" asked Ryo.

"Of course..." said Kaori. By now her back was struck against the wall and Ryo's face was more and more closer to her.

"It seems that you are hiding something..." said Ryo. He was now looking straight in the eyes of Kaori. He could clearly see that she was hiding something and he knew what. It had took all of his self control from not pursuing Kaori when he saw that she was running away from her (after all he has promised Kaori that protecting Sayuri will be his first priority. Sayuri could have been in grave danger if he would have not been there with her). He was still not sure whether that girl was Kaori or not. It was his intuition that, that girl was Kaori and his intuition was never wrong. The only way to know whether Kaori was there or not, was to check her arm for an injury. He came very close to her and deliberately inhaled her scent, in order to distract her. Kaori immediately turned into a deeper shade of red. He then gently touched the nape of her neck with his fingertips and Kaori shivered under his touch. Ryo was enjoying the torture and wanted to do more than that to her, but controlled himself.

"I have to first confirm this," thought Ryo. He then gently slipped his hands inside the collar of her jacket. His touch made Kaori close her eyes. She was now lost to those new found sensations and let all her guards down. Ryo then slipped the jacket, off her shoulder and let it fall on the ground. Then with his fingers touched the bandaged portion of her arm. Kaori grimaced in pain and soon realized what exactly has happened to her. Ryo was giving her a questioning look. She felt ashamed on her inability to keep even such a small thing as a secret from Ryo. And above of it all, she felt betrayed and hurt. She thought that Ryo only did all those things to her in order to reach to the truth. Tears were now flowing through her eyes and Ryo could exactly trace her thoughts. With all her guards down, Ryo could see through everything going inside his Sugar Boy's mind. He could stand anything, any amount of pain in this world but not her tears. After finally admitting his love for her, there was no way that he would make her cry. So he cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look into his eyes.

"I was not playing with you Kaori… There's no way I could!" said Ryo, emphasizing his last sentence. Kaori was giving him a confused look.

"Don't torture me with that look Kaori… It's already quite difficult standing so close to you..." said Ryo with a slight laugh.

Not understanding a bit, she looked down and saw that Ryo's mokkori was functioning very properly. She immediately turned deep red in colour and looked away. Ryo laughed heartedly and said,

"You know that I love you so much Kaori and care deeply for you… All these years I kept denying my feeling because I thought that you will never be safe beside me. But look, even without me, you still managed to get yourself in problematic situations. Instead of letting you face all those situations alone, isn't it better to face them together… So now tell me Kaori who was it and why did this happen to you?"

Those three words, "I love you," were ringing in her ears continuously. She didn't even heard him say rest of the things. Those words, for which she has waited for eternity, were finally set free from the mouth of Ryo. He himself did not realized the words that had left his mouth at that time. All he wanted at that time, was to comfort Kaori and make her believe in his love, which he successfully did. Those words made Kaori weak in her knees. She was about to slip down when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, ignoring the pain. Ryo slowly and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her back, but gently. They were savouring the moment in each other's arms when Kaori whispered, "I love you too Ryo."

"Kaori..." said Ryo, with a glint in his eyes. His eyes and heart were both burning with passion. He brought his face close to hers till their breaths mingled. Unable to further controlled himself he placed his on her soft ones and hurriedly kissed her. There was an urgency in their kiss and Kaori felt like Ryo desperately needed her. For the first time in her life, Kaori felt at the complete mercy of her partner. She was so immersed in her thoughts that when Ryo broke their kiss, she felt like her life support system was snatched away from her. She looked in the eyes of Ryo who in turn looked at her, with both of their eyes clouded with carnal desire. They were about to continue when Sayuri suddenly started screaming. Ryo immediately darted towards her room and found frightened Sayuri at the corner of her room. She was waving her hand furiously and was asking something go away. Kaori also came running and halted behind Ryo, careful enough to hide her wound from Sayuri. Ryo asked Sayuri in a concerned voice,

"What happened Sayuri? Why were you screaming?"

"Ask that thing to go away first?" said Sayuri pointing towards the wall.

Ryo looked in that direction and found a lizard on the wall. He first giggled and then started laughing loudly. Even Kaori couldn't control herself and joined Ryo in his laughter. Sayuri made a sullen expression and asked Ryo not to make fun of her.

"Instead of laughing, you can make that thing go away Ryo!" said Sayuri.

"Of course, of course!" said Ryo shooing away the lizard.

Sayuri then relaxed and noticed the expression on Kaori's face. She was flushed, "but that could not come just from laughing..." thought Sayuri. Then her eyes rested on Kaori's slightly swollen lips and she immediately understood the whole story. She was elated beyond comparison and said in a mischievous voice,

"I am so sorry that I ruined your passionate moment!"

As soon those words left Sayuri's mouth, a deep blush developed on Kaori's face. Even Ryo felt a little awkward. Sayuri, getting the idea of the development between the new couple, left the two of them alone. While going away, she whispered in Kaori's ear, "Your lips look much better now." She playfully jerked Kaori a bit and left her. Loosing her balance, she collided with the wall, right on her wounded arm. She gulped her pain and withered in pain on the floor. Ryo who was looking in other direction, as soon as heard the 'thud' sound and saw Kaori on the floor, rushed to help her. He gently took her in his arms in princess style and took her into his room (carefully avoiding the eyes of Sayuri). He laid her on his bed and started to unwrap her bandages. Her wound was reopened and blood was oozing out of it, due to the collision. Seeing Kaori in so much pain, wrenched his heart. He quickened his process of bandaging her arm and took a sigh of relief only when he was finished. With a grim expression he asked Kaori,

"How did this happened to you? Or rather who did this to you?" There was a long silence in the room. "Kaori care to tell me, who did this?" asked Ryo again, now visibly angry. He was angry not on Kaori but on himself because he was not able to protect her. This thing was continuously going on his mind and was making him feel more and more exasperated. Again not getting an answer from Kaori, whose head was hung low, he tried a soft approach and gently lifted her face with his fingers and asked,

"Please Kaori… Tell me everything..."

On seeing Ryo begging for an answer from her, her eyes began to moisten. She said in a soft and dejected tone, "I cannot Ryo…"

"Kaori!"

"Please Ryo… I beg of you, don't ask me anything… I have promised myself to see through this matter till the end, all by myself. I have to do this Ryo… This is my only chance… I just cannot drag you in between this..." said Kaori between her numerous sobs.

"No Kaori! I will not listen to all this… You have to tell me everything and now!" said Ryo sternly. On hearing this Kaori started crying more loudly and her whole face was basked in tears. Ryo felt more and more helpless and was cursing himself for saying such things to his Sugar Boy. He gently and rhythmically stroked her hair, encouraging her to stop crying and relax in his arms. When she was calmed a bit, he said in a hopeful voice,

"Okay Kaori, I won't pressure you to say anything now… But at least trust me with your safety and give me a little detail of your choice..."

"Please Ryo!" pleaded Kaori.

Getting no answer from Kaori, Ryo decided to depend on his network to get all the information. "Okay Kaori, now you are going to sleep here and I want no arguments on this topic… Is this clear?" said Ryo. That was no question but a statement for there was a great conviction in his voice. Kaori agreed to with a nod. "Do you want to have dinner here or will you go downstairs?" asked Ryo.

"I feel quite full already, so I will skip it."

"Fine... I am going down to check on Sayuri… And you do not move from this place!" Ryo was about to leave when he turned once again and asked, "Did that eccentric Doc gave you some painkillers?"

"But... how did you know?" stammered Kaori.

"Of course I am aware of all those people, whom you trust your life with. Damn that old geezer! Even he knew about your injury… Do you trust him more than me?" asked Ryo with a hurtful expression.

"Of course not Ryo!"

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

A long silence followed his question. They were getting nowhere near the conclusion. Everything was leading to the same question. And Kaori was reluctant to speak anything. "Why?" thought Ryo. He shook his head in order to bring back his sanity. He looked at Kaori who had guilt written all over her face. His face melted in the blink of an eye and he knelt down beside his bed, where Kaori was sitting. He took her palms in his hands and kissed them. "I know that there must be a reason," said Ryo and smiled lovingly at her. Then suddenly swore loudly, "Damn this love, it's making me more and more possessive towards you with each passing moment."

Kaori's face instantly broke into a smile. "I guess you can now somewhat understand my feelings from all these past years," said Kaori with a hint of jealousy. She was sulking a bit and Ryo completely fell in love with that expression. It was a proof of how much she loved him and hated sharing him with others. He chuckled and said, "You were not the only one with that feeling," he paused for a bit in order to let the words sink into her and then continued, "I am going down now and you are not suppose to move even an inch from here. I will quickly come back to you." he finished his last words with a 'Stallion of Shinjuku' smile.

Kaori was now completely left alone in his room. Those last words of Ryo, before leaving the room, made her blush a little. Thinking that now she was on his bed and under the covers made her even more flushed. She slipped further inside the covers and inhaled the scent of Ryo from it, which soothed her immensely. All her worries were forgotten while she fell into the arms of Morpheus.

After finishing the dinner, Ryo called his informants, in order to get the information about the attacks on Sayuri and Kaori. One of his informants also told him the some useful information. He was still not satisfied and asked them to look into the matter more thoroughly and report back to him as soon as possible. "Kazuya Ichinose… You have messed with the wrong person!" said Ryo with a grim expression.

Continued...


	5. Comeback of the Striker

**A/N:** Hello everyone and a very big sorry for such a late update. Since my exams are going on, it's really difficult to write the updates. But I am still trying my best to make up for it. And a special thanks to – Saebabymama, ryokaori11, AskForXYZ, archery, MikeeIsAwsome, Zzz, SugarBoyXoXo, a guest who wrote "chapter 5 please" and a guest named 'Someone'. Thanks a lot for your reviews. It really encouraged me to write the next update faster. Just don't forget to review and like the story. And once again thanks for bearing it with me… :P

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the City Hunter and its characters except for the ones which I have invented.

 **5\. Comeback of the Striker**

Next morning Kaori woke up a little late than usual. She opened her eyes in a warm bed and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. She quickly looked around and realized that she was in Ryo's room. A deep blush formed on her face. She tried to get up but sensed some weight on her stomach and turned in the other direction to find a sleeping Ryo. He was sleeping only with his boxers on. She panicked a little and found that her clothes were still in place and breathed a sigh of relief and remembered all the things that happened the previous night. The sight of Ryo's naked, taught muscular torso was enough to blow up her mind. She shook her head to remove all the inappropriate thoughts from her mind about Ryo. She saw him again and blushed a bit, as he was sleeping so close to her. She gently caressed the face of our sweeper and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. She then quietly got up from the bed without waking him up and touched her wounded arm. The pain was not much better but not that bad so as to stop her from making the breakfast for her lover and sister. On her way to the kitchen she thought, "Sayuri is going to bombard me with the questions today," and sighed loudly.

In the room Ryo also sighed loudly as he was missing the warmth of Kaori from the morning. He was wide awake when Kaori started moving in his arms. He pretended to be asleep in order to prevent Kaori from feeling awkward. The night before, after getting the name of that man from his informants, Ryo quickly came back to his room. Kaori was deep in her sleep and Ryo, not wanting to wake her up, slid under the covers along with her. He protectively, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and placed her wounded arm on his chest and then fell into deep slumber. Now Ryo was wide awake and wondering, why didn't he confessed to her earlier. When only a single touch from her was enough to erase all his nightmares and pain from his past, he could not imagine what will happen to him when she will become his, both in soul and body. Ryo felt a surge of happiness when Kaori caressed his face and the peck on the forehead was like a cherry on the top. And when she left him, he felt immense sadness. Now that he was so close to her, he didn't want to be separated from her even for a second. With quick movements he took his shower and went downstairs to join the table for the breakfast.

Downstairs, Sayuri was bombarding Kaori with questions, as expected. She felt relieved when Kaori told him about Ryo's confession and about them being together now. "Everything is now settled," thought Sayuri happily. Now all three of them were having their breakfast and Sayuri was about to leave the house when Kaori said,

"Wait Sayuri... Why are you going alone?"

"Kaori, I don't need Ryo's protection anymore. The only reason why I agreed for getting his protection, was to get two of you, close to each other. And now that my job is done, I think it's better to leave you people alone."

"No Sayuri! You are not going alone. You still need the protection and no word against it."

"But Kaori… No one is after my life, not even after my work! I don't know about the threat letters, but I am definitely not the object of their hostility. I strongly believe that I am perfectly safe… Maybe I was about to discover something and they wanted to divert my attention to something else… Hmm… This seems a plausible reason for their actions. What do you have to say on this Ryo?"

"I am still waiting to receive all the details from my informants… All I know is the name of the man who is behind all this mess… and that is - Kazuya Ichinose..."

Hearing the name of Kazuya Ichinose made the blood in Kaori's veins freeze. She suddenly felt short of breath and felt like the whole world was slipping through her fingers. She was afraid even to think about the consequences of this drama. This man had the power to turn Ryo, once again into the Angel of death and all Kaori wanted for Ryo, was to have a life away from this bloody world. And if something like this happens in future then she would also have to remove the lid from her past and use everything she had in her power to protect him.

"What else do you know about him?"

"Nothing much, just that he is a business tycoon and one of the strongest man in Japan… If he wants he can bend the whole nation into his favour… But what is attracting his attention this time, is the main and real question which is still unanswered..."

Kaori inwardly took a sigh of relief when Sayuri said,

"It's getting late… So I think I should go now."

"Wait! I am coming with you," said Ryo.

Sayuri shrugged and said, "As you say Ryo."

Before leaving the house, Ryo gently hugged Kaori and said, "You don't need to go outside today… I will ask Doc to come here and change your bandages… And if you want me to keep my mouth shut in front of Sayuri, you better take care of yourself… Or else I will tell Sayuri everything… And I am sure you won't be able to stand in front of her persuasive power," finished Ryo with a sly smile. Kaori quickly agreed with a nod and said, "You two just come back safely..."

"Of course! After all we still have to finish what we started yesterday," said Ryo and gave her a quick kiss on her lips and went on his way with Sayuri, leaving a flustered Kaori behind.

Rest of the day went peacefully for both the parties. Kaori had her bandages changed by the Doc at her home and Ryo was able to gather a little more details about Ichinose, but not the useful ones.

Both Ryo and Sayuri arrived in front of their home when Sayuri stopped Ryo for a bit to talk about Kaori.

"I think my job is finished here Ryo… Moreover my company is thinking of shifting me once again to New York. So before going back I just want to make sure that you are ready to make Kaori happy..."

"I was never so sure about anything in my entire life… My whole life is about Kaori and I am ready to make her the very center of my life!" said Ryo with a conviction.

"That was all I wanted to hear from you" but her words were faded in the background voice when suddenly a loud shrill voice of Kaori was heard. Ryo immediately rushed in to help her. Sayuri also began to run towards the door but never reached there, for she was drugged and taken to another place.

Ryo found Kaori struggling with a man who was threatening her with a gun. He immediately knocked him out and asked her if she was okay to which she nodded in agreement. Ryo took a sigh of relief and gently hugged her. She calmed herself down in his embrace and asked him about Sayuri. Ryo turned back to look her but found no one. Dreadfully he looked at Kaori who understood his sign. Both rushed outside and found the handbag of Sayuri lying on the ground. "Some people must have kidnapped her," thought Kaori and Ryo simultaneously. As soon as they thought this, Ryo's phone started ringing. He picked it up and the voice on the other end said,

"We are going to do no harm to the lady, for next one hour. If you can save her in that time, then you are most welcome! If not, then you probably will never be able to see her again. Let's see if you can save her City Hunter... And your time starts now!"

The phone got disconnected as soon as the voice on the other end finished. Ryo looked at Kaori and told her the same. Her eyes begged him to save her sister.

"Don't worry Kaori I will bring Sayuri safe and sound back to you. There's a radar on her dress which will help me to find her. So just have faith in me like you always do and wait for us here at home."

"No Ryo! I am also coming with you..."

"No Kaori… You will stay at home… I don't want to put you in any danger and your injury might get worse… I perfectly know, how much the wound caused by a bullet hurts and I am in no mood to take any risks..."

"But..."

"No but Kaori!" said Ryo sternly and then gently cupped her face and said, "I am not taking any chance with your safety… You are my world and under no circumstances I am letting anyone destroy it! Just wait here obediently and prepare a nice dinner for our arrival."

Kaori sighed but the tension was still there in the atmosphere. "Bring her back quickly Ryo!"

"Of course I will" said Ryo and quickly left to bring Sayuri back.

In no time he got the exact location of Sayuri and was on his way to help her. Soon he reached a desolated building and fought his way to Sayuri. Numerous men were now lying unconscious in whole of the corridor. He entered the room in which Sayuri was tied up and saw that she was unconscious and had a slight bruise on her head. Feeling the blood boiling in his veins, he immediately knocked out the men who, like idiots, threw themselves at our dear City Hunter. Just like his name he hunted each of them down and freed Sayuri. Keeping the men at his gunpoint, he asked,

"Who sent you people to kidnap Sayuri?"

One man from the group got up and sneered at him. This ticked off Ryo.

"Probably you know answers to all of my questions" finished Ryo with a vexed tone.

"But before I answer that, don't you think you should check on your woman for once. This girl might have been just a decoy!" laughed the leader of those men. "Even as I speak something terrible must have been going on with her. You were foolish leave your woman behind. And now she is going to pay for that."

With a jolting movement Ryo grabbed the collar of that man's shirt and fiercely said, "Tell me where she is and what are you planning and I might spare you your life."

The leader that group was terribly shaken. He had seen numerous killers in his life, worst of the worst criminals but had never felt such a terror and deathly vibes emanating from any man. Sure he was the legendary City Hunter – Ryo Saeba! He was terribly shaken bacause of the man in front of him and with a trembling voice he said,

"I don't know the full plan but few details. Kazuya Ichinose is the one who hired us to kidnap this girl, Sayuri and distract you while he can carry out his plan with your partner Kaori. Believe us, we have no intention of hurting you or winning over you. This is all I know..."

Ryo once again punched him straight in the face (because of which the poor man passed out) and quickly dialed the number of Mick. He told him the whole story in short and asked him to find Kaori and ensure her safety. Similarly he asked Falcon and Micky for the same. Now all the best sweepers of the nation were scouring out the city, looking for Kaori. Ryo was quite far away from the city which was a disadvantage for him. For probably the first time in his life he prayed God to protect Kaori. He hastily placed Sayuri in the car (who was still unconscious) and ignited the engine of his car. Distance was large, time was less but he was determined to protect her. After all Kaori, His Kaori was at stake!

Just five minutes after Ryo left, Kaori got a call, which was from Ichinose. With a dreadful expression Kaori picked up the call.

"Where is my sister?" asked Kaori trembling.

"Don't worry about her… She is very safe in the hands of my men," said Ichinose mockingly.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" warned Kaori.

"Oh Kaori… This attitude is what makes you different from all those meek, little women who are just behind my money… Well leaving that behind, I want your answer to my proposal now..." finished Ichinose in an intimidating voice.

"I will tell you after I see my sister safe and sound with my own eyes."

"Hmm… Okay fine with me… I will send you a message containing the address where Sayuri is confined… And one more thing… Just informing you that your City Hunter is on the wrong path… You people thought that I would never come to know about the transmitter attached to Sayuri's dress, then you are wrong… My men had already removed that tracking device from her dress… That device must be in some dumpster by now… Well whatever… The main thing is that he will never be able to save her… Your only option is me."

This was followed by a long silence from Kaori's side. She was in a dilemma. If Ichinose's men has removed the transmitter from Sayuri's dress, then there was no way that Ryo will be able to reach her in time. She just cannot take the risks. She was determined to do everything she has in her power to save her only sister.

"You better stick to your words Mr. Ichinose!"

"Of course my love… I will be waiting for you… But you better hurry" finished Kazuya Ichinose with a relief. It was a gamble which he was playing and in order to win he has to make Kaori believe that City Hunter was incapable of helping her sister. He deliberately left the transmitter on Sayuri's dress so that Ryo could follow her and that would keep him away from Kaori. Now that Kaori has believed him, the only thing left was to make her surrender to his will. He quickly sent her a message of the address.

Kaori immediately reached the designated place. It was one of the shady areas of Tokyo and in one such dark alley waited the men of Ichinose. She entered the alley and waited for his men to come out. She used her keen senses and muffled sounds of footsteps to count the total number of men. They were 15 in number against the lone Kaori.

"Where is my sister?" shouted Kaori.

As soon as she said this, all the men came out and surrounded her. One of the man came forward and handed her the phone. On the line was Ichinose,

"You are so predictable Kaori... I knew it that it will absolutely be impossible for you to resist this offer... Who could be more precious for you in this world than your sister... Perhaps it could be that man named Ryo Saeba..." finished Ichinose in a fearsome tone.

"How did you..." said Kaori.

"Oh Kaori! You thought that you could hide your relationship with him from me… You might not know but I am quite possessive about my things and I absolutely despise to share it with others… And you are one such thing Kaori… Tonight I won't let you escape from my men… Tonight you will definitely be mine!"

"Mind your own business and don't mess with my life Ichinose!" snarled Kaori.

"I am minding my own business Kaori and eliminating your lover from the face of this earth is one such business of mine! Saeba might be the best in his field, but I have got a perfect opponent for him… Once he is done with you, he'll eliminate your lover as well," finished Ichinose calmly and ordered his men,

"Use any means to capture her. Just don't touch her chastity and bring her back alive to me… You have got your orders, now just complete it quickly."

"Yes Boss!" said the leader.

As soon the call got disconnected, all the men surrounded Kaori and tried to scare her. But seeing the unwavering eyes of Kaori they decided to use force against her. At first she just dodged the attacks smartly, but soon the men intensified the attacks as the woman in front of them was hurting their pride. One man attacked Kaori with an iron rod, right on her wound. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

"Why don't you show us the look which you had in your eyes just now?" snickered one of the man.

"Her lover will die a thousand times painful death than her," laughed the other man.

"Idiot! we have to take her alive back to our contractor… Check whether she is breathing or not" said the so called leader of the gang.

One of the man bent down to check her breathing while the other was saying,

"Poor Saeba… He is just going to die by the hands of our merciless leader – Jinguji sama, The Striker!"

The name of Jinguji – the Striker brought back Kaori from her trance. If he was the man who was given the task of killing Ryo then surely the picture would be ugly. He was probably the only man who could compete with Ryo and be alive. Only a man who has complete different techniques from Ryo, holds a chance of standing on the same ground as him. And being a holder of such technique herself, she was well aware of the fact that Jinguji was one such man. If he was going against him, then the odds were against Ryo and it means that her lover's life was in danger. She had once promised her brother that she would never use this technique in her life unless she is in a dire situation where she could think no other alternative. And she was in such dilemma right now. Saving her sister's and especially Ryo's life was the utmost priority in her life. Even though she was aware that, in the process she might lose her life.

She opened up her eyes and shot a death glance at the man who was checking her breathing. She quickly got up and knocked out the nearest man. All the other men were shocked to her transformation and the fight started once again. Now Kaori was having an upper hand and was fighting like an angel of death. Though she didn't kill anybody but those men will no longer capable of wielding any weapon in the future. Soon she was surrounded in a pool of knocked out men. She herself was bleeding profusely from her wounded arm. But her eyes were focused only on one man hiding in the shadows.

The man in question came out while clapping. He was a tall man, almost the same height as that of Ryo, with tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a deep ocean blue and his face was strong and defined. He had dark eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. Once a very good friend of Kaori now turned into a foe, was now standing right in front of her with a bitter expression on his face. And in a deep mocking tone, he said,

"It's good to see you again, Striker!"

Continued…

 **A/N:** The next update can be a little late too. But don't worry I will definitely not abandon the story. To clear the doubt – Striker is the name for wielder of a special technique, which I will be explaining in the next chapter. The chapter will contain the past of Kaori as a Striker and few more twists and turns. Till then, keep reading. :)


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